Big Talk's Book Talk

2026

Flamboyance: The Power of Living Boldly

Jack Parlett

This book was like reading someone’s extended thesis, integrating beautifully written blog posts into an academic cultural review of fiery content.… Read Review →

2007

Continental Drift

Russel Banks

Some of the darkest most honest themes about being a human, immigration, race, and masculinity mixed with some of the most hilarious dialogue and… Read Review →

2026

Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood

Darby Saxbe

Oooh yall, I loved this one! You don’t have to like men to recognize that fatherhood is a topic RICH with cultural values. I especially appreciated… Read Review →

2026

Famesick: A Memoir

Lena Dunham

Lena is both exactly who you think she is, and so much more whether you like it or not. The disability, chronic illness, perfectionist, workaholic… Read Review →

2026

When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Nathanial Chin

I found so many great things about this book! It would be helpful for any family member friend or supporter of someone experiencing memory or… Read Review →

2025

Hunchback

Saou Ichikawa

Someone in my book club called it “Lexi-Maxxing” meaning intense portrayal of all the things I love in a book: nasty language, depictions of power… Read Review →

2022

Just Like Home

Sarah Gailey

Obsessed. I love a hectic main character in her 20’s. I’m also a lover of haunted house tropes, and family trauma. Mildly horrific and exceptionally… Read Review →

2013

The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families

Elisabeth Sheff

Practical, thorough and detailed review of non monogamous relationships. This book is more academic than self help so has a research and clinical… Read Review →

2004

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Jon Krakauer

How this author had me so engaged listening to over 6 hours of Mormon history is beyond me. I didn’t get through the show, but this nonfiction from… Read Review →

2018

How to Break Up with Your Phone

Catherine Price

A pretty great one month guide for restructuring your phone (and digital) usage. The first two weeks are preparation and reflections about attention,… Read Review →

2026

Motherf*cked: How to Stop Your Mother’s Toxic Drama From Ruining Your Life

Ashley Oerman

Read Review →

1988

Giovanni’s Room

James Baldwin

I hated every moment reading this. It will haunt me and for that I must rate 5 stars. This book will bring you a different discomfort every few… Read Review →

2023

Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World

Devorah Heitner

This is an incredible resource for parents and adults who support people born after 2000. The main thing I liked was the approach of non-shame when… Read Review →

2026

Balance is Bullsh*t: The Truth About Motherhood and Self Care

Elisha Beach

Charming and validating in a really approachable way. The author has a “momfluencer” tone, not focusing on research or the big whys, and focuses on… Read Review →

2004

The Safekeep

Yael van der Wouden

This book is tough to review without spoilers, because the themes explored are better left to smack you in the face. In this way, ignorance is maybe… Read Review →

2023

Black Friend: Essays

Ziwe

I loved this book. The goo goo gah gah hot girl pink iconic energy is a brand I align with. The way she talks about the experience of blackness and… Read Review →

2020

Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement

Dixon, Ejeris & Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi (eds.)

An incredible selection of essays about the experience of disability, what transformative justice could look like, and where we are in terms of… Read Review →

2018

Educated: A Memoir

Westover, Tara

This author has such an incredible way of taking her stories and making them something almost anyone could relate to. To be raised by a severely… Read Review →

2019

Emotionally Focused Family Therapy: Restoring Connection and Promoting Resilience

Furrow, James; Palmer, Gail; Johnson, Susan M.

I return to this book every time I start work with a new family. It's a quick read, the writing is clear and not too theory jargon and the case… Read Review →

2018

Fierce Intimacy: Standing Up to One Another with Love

Real, Terry

No joke, this is SO GOOD. We need more accountability and responsibility in relationships, and also that we don't have control over others. It's… Read Review →

2016

Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing

Mohr, Melissa

I didn't realize 50% would be about the holy and 50% about the shit but alas! The title is very accurate. History, philosophy, linguistics and the… Read Review →

2019

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World

Thom, Kai Cheng

It's important to read this one in emotional bursts. Sometimes a chapter, or sometimes only a few pages at a time. There was so much that I could… Read Review →

2022

Nettle & Bone

Kingfisher, T.

There were so many tropes and themes I loved about this book, which was impressive for something basically 250 pages. I love an adventure where the… Read Review →

2018

Severance

Ma, Ling

I have to admit, the plot line was more interesting to me than the actual book, and yet I definitely recommend it to a very specific audience. This… Read Review →

2026

The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy

Bauer, Susan Wise

This book is history and philosophy of modern western illness. There were things in this book that will affirm many Americans experiences, especially… Read Review →

2026

Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last

Bellamy, Tom

a curious read about a topic I'm still not sure how to classify. It's an aerial perspective on a psychosocial phenomenon, so while I learned a lot, I… Read Review →

2017

Transforming ADHD: Simple Effective Skills to Help You Focus and Succeed

Crosby, Greg and Lippert, Tonya K.

A decent exploration of what it means to experience ADHD and a helpful strengths focused framework to help you understand yourself, a loved one or a… Read Review →

2019

This is How You Lose the Time War

El-Mohtar, Amal & Gladstone, Max

This book is a paradox in all forms. It's weird and not written like anything you've seen before but somehow, the love letter format back and forth… Read Review →

2026

To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right

Mathias, Christopher

If you live in the PNW, and want to read a history book of why 'antifa' became a buzzword, look no further this book ROCKS!! Who doesn't want to read… Read Review →

2026

Was That Racist: How to Detect, Interrupt, and Unlearn Bias in Everyday Life

Carter, Evelyn R.

So grateful to the author and publishers for giving us this work! As a white therapist, I encounter many well intentioned folks who will benefit from… Read Review →

2026

Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits

Mak, Cecily

A lovely memoir style proposal of how to get connected to our wise self. The author used their experience with alcohol to propose reflection points… Read Review →

2026

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy

Montgomery, Beronda

Black Botanical Wisdom, as a Celtic white woman in the US, is the gap in spiritual reality I was looking for. Pulling from learned wisdom of… Read Review →

2002

The Ice Palace

Tarjei Vesaas

Grief!!! The metaphor for grief!! This tiny book is best read on winter solstice, but anytime in the darkness of winter will do. The writing style is… Read Review →

2022

Reclaiming Body Trust: A Path to Healing and Liberation

Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant

As a clinician, this book was an incredible source for how to talk about self esteem in a body neutral way. The author has a certification program as… Read Review →

2018

Advice for Future Corpses (And Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying

Sallie Tisdale

This book is for the crass, no nonsense children and loved ones of the dead. Don’t read if you don’t like swear words! The authors tone is MAD when… Read Review →

2010

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Michelle Alexander

I’m writing this review in 2026, thirteen years after I first read this book. I think back to how this was assigned through a class in college (maybe… Read Review →